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Coffin Pumpkin Cake Recipe

Coffin Pumpkin Cake Recipe photo by Taste of Home

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The maple flavoring in the frosting makes this spooky cake taste delicious! And the gingersnap crumbs make the “coffin” look like a pine box…to suit the season perfectly.—Kathy Michel, Dubuque, Iowa

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Coffin Pumpkin Cake Recipe

Prep: 1 hour Bake: 40 min. + cooling

Yield: 20 Servings

60 40 100

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup buttermilk
FROSTING/FILLING:
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 to 3 teaspoons maple flavoring
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies (about 40 cookies)

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, ginger and cloves; add to pumpkin mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
Line a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan with waxed paper and grease the paper; spread batter into pan. Bake at 325° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar and enough maple flavoring to achieve a spreading consistency. For filling, in a small bowl, beat 1 cup frosting with whipping cream until soft peaks form.
Cut cake into a coffin shape (discard scraps or save for another use). Cut cake horizontally into two layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with filling. Top with second layer.
Set aside 2 tablespoons frosting for writing; frost cake with remaining frosting. Sprinkle with cookie crumbs. Cut a small hole in the corner of a plastic bag; fill with reserved frosting. Pipe "RIP" onto cake. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 20 servings.

Originally published as Coffin Pumpkin Cake in Halloween Party Favorites , p30

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Coffin Pumpkin Cake

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Reviewed on Nov. 01, 2011 by redrubies57

This cake is not only great looking, but great tasting. The combination of the cream cheese and maple flavoring creates a unique flavor in the frosting. It's not overly sugary. I made it for a Halloween party at work and everyone raved about it. The Commissioner of the agency came to have a taste of the cake and returned for seconds. I would not change a single thing about this recipe, including the crushed gingersnap cookies sprinkled on top to resemble the pinebox and earth. It's the spiciness of the gingersnap cookies that compliments the pumpkin flavor of the cake and icing. I will definitely make this again. Two people have asked for the recipe. It's fun to make and decorate too.

Reviewed on Oct. 30, 2011 by red_savage1

Time constraints did not allow me to make this recipe with all of it's delcious sounding flavors. I did run with the decorating idea, using a box mix and canned frosting for a bake sale. Easy, cute. Mm, and the addition of crushed gingersnap cookies, awesome. Can't wait to try this and it will not be coffin shaped. (smiling)